Page 69 of It's Only Ever Been You

I glance at Sarah, seated quietly at the edge of the room, her hands folded tightly in her lap. She’swatching them too, but her eyes look… resigned. Like she’s seeing something no one else does, something she’s already made peace with.

The thought makes my chest tighten. There’s something going on here, something I don’t fully understand, but it’s enough to add to the ache in my heart. Because even in the middle of this picture-perfect moment, I can’t shake the feeling that everything isn’t as it seems.

The music swells, applause rippling through the room as Jace and Sierra spin gracefully across the floor. But instead of joining in the celebration, I feel like an outsider looking in, weighed down by my emotions. My chest feels constricted, my breath shallow, and the noise around me grows muffled, like I’m under water.

The lump in my throat grows, and I slip out through the side door, needing air more than anything. The cool night breeze hits my skin, and I exhale shakily, trying to steady myself.

My phone buzzes in my clutch, and I pull it out with trembling hands. A text from Ethan lights up the screen.

Ethan: I’m not giving up on us, Emma. Whatever’s going on, we can fix it. Please, just talk to me.

The tears I’ve been holding back all evening finally spill over, blurring the words on the screen. My thumb hovers over the keyboard, the urge to respond overwhelming. But what do Isay? That I’m terrified of losing myself again? That if he walks away, I won’t recover this time?

I lock the phone without replying, stuffing it back into my clutch as a sob escapes my lips.

The sound startles me, but I don’t move to cover it. Out here, in the quiet of the night, I let myself feel everything I’ve been trying to suppress—the fear, the pain, the love I’m too afraid to admit I still feel.

The door creaks open behind me, and I stiffen, wiping at my cheeks as footsteps approach.

“Emma?” Sarah’s voice is soft, hesitant.

I turn to face her, forcing a smile that feels brittle. “Hey. Needed a breather.”

She studies me for a moment, her gaze sharp but kind. “You can lie to everyone else in there, but not to me,” she says gently.

Her words unravel something in me, and the tears I’ve been holding back all night spill over. Sarah steps forward, wrapping her arms around me as I bury my face in her shoulder, the sobs wracking my body.

“I don’t know what to do,” I whisper when I finally find my voice.

Sarah pulls back, her hands settling on my shoulders. “You don’t have to have all the answers right now,” she says softly. “But whatever this is, you don’t have to run from it.”

I shake my head, fresh tears sliding down my cheeks. “It’s not that simple.”

“Maybe not,” she admits. “But neither is giving up on something that means everything to you.”

Her words hang in the air, heavy and undeniable. For the first time all night, I feel a flicker of something other than fear—something more like hope.

But hope doesn’t change the fear. I take a shaky breath and step back, the cool night air sharp against my damp skin. Wrapping my arms around myself, I try to hold everything together.

“He doesn’t want to be with me,” I murmur, my voice barely audible. “What if I’m holding him back? What if I’m the reason he can’t have the life he deserves?”

Sarah tilts her head, her expression softening. “What makes you think that?”

I hesitate, twisting the strap of my clutch as the words tumble out before I can stop them. “I overheard him on the phone last night.”

Her brows knit together. “What did you hear?”

“He was talking to his agent, I think,” I say, the memory making my throat tighten. “He said he needed to get out of here as soon as the wedding was over. That he’d be back in the city by Monday.” My voice wavers, the hurt bubbling to the surface. “It sounded like… like this was just temporary for him. Like I’m temporary.”

Sarah’s eyes widen slightly, but she doesn’t interrupt. She waits, letting me get it all out.

“I know I shouldn’t have eavesdropped,” I admit, my hands trembling. “But I couldn’t stop myself. And now I can’t stop thinking about it. What if this is just a fling for him? What if he’s already planning to leave, and I’m setting myself up to get crushed again?”

“Did he say anything about you?” Sarah asks carefully. “Did he say this was temporary or that he was leaving you behind?”

“No,” I admit, tears pricking at my eyes. “But why else would he say he needs to get out of here? Why else would he sound so… done with it all?”

Sarah exhales, her gaze steady but kind. “Emma, you don’t know the full context of that conversation. You’re jumping to conclusions based on half of what you heard.”

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